A Prayer With No Words

A Prayer With No Words

I could hear them praying
Somehow it seemed stiff, rote
The words were there, they sounded pretty, even holy
Yet somehow I knew they were not from the heart
Then it occurred to me they were operating out of a sense of obligation

Hosea 6:6 -- For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.

Suddenly I saw the meaning of this more clearly
I saw they wanted to be obedient to God
That they wanted to 'please' Him
But they did it out of obligation
It was as if they really didn't know how much God really cares
It was as if they believed they were insignificant to God
It was as if God's love was for them simply an imagined thing

Then I looked at my own circumstance
I wanted to pray, but couldn't find the words
Tears rose up in my eyes as I searched but found no words
Then I prayed, Lord help me find the words to pray
And He answered
'Unless your words are better than silence it is better to remain silent'

I made myself still for a moment as I thought, 'Be still and know He is Lord'
In that moment it all fit
The stillness, the silence, mercy and love not obligation and sacrifice
I realized then that a prayer with no words
That being still and just knowing He is Lord
Is better than anything done out of a sense of obligation

So I sat and began to think on how wonderful God is
How He is almighty and majestic
And how much He loves me
Then the tears came
Not because I had nothing to say, but because of what I heard Him say
He simply said, "now that you are still you can hear me say I love you
And that, my son, is the best prayer of all
Because it is how you get to know me"

I do what I do because I want to know God
Not because I feel obligated
Even if that means a prayer with no words

Written by Rocky Chambers

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So beautifully stated!
Thanks to my friend Rocky for sharing this via email!